Clean Up Crew

[MINIATUS]

I have to plan this ahead of time because it is sometimes hard to find a good source of these in Canada without paying a fortune. Witty says all crabs are evil but would they not be one of the better members for a cleaning crew. There must be other crabs other than blue or red legged crabs that are reef safe. Also what else is considered an ideal clean up member.

MINIATUS

[Woodstock]

• Nassarius snails eat ditritus and uneaten food. They also stir the sand bed.
• Cerith snails stay mainly on the sand bed and eat film algae.
• Turbo snails stay on the rocks/glass and require large amounts of algae. They can grow very large and strong; knocking over corals.
• Fighting conchs are sand stirrers that eat algae on the bottom.
• Astrea snails eat algae off of the glass and rocks but if they fall on their backs, can die because they can not right themselves.

The only crabs allowed in my reef are scarlet hermits. They eat ditritus and algae from the sand and rocks.

[prow]

well i never use crabs, not anymore at least. i use a variety of snails and some others here is a list of my current creatures in my 120gal.
1-Cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
2-Tiger serpent (Ophiolepsis superba)
20- Turbo snail (Turbo margarita) "the small ones"
10-Nassarius snail (Nassarius vibex) "the small ones"
10-Nassarius Snail (Nassrius distortus) "tonga the big ones"
30-Cerith snail (Cerithium sp.)
15- Astrea Snails (Astraea tecta)
30-Nerite snails
30-Banded trochus (Trochus radiatus)

i also use fish like tangs, lawnmower blennies, cleaner gobies (neon, greenbanded ect..)

although i dont have them in this tank i also use cucumbers, various sea stars and urchins.

there is really no need for crabs and IMO no place or reason for them to be in a reef.

[KeyserSoze]

Everything we add to our tanks have pros and cons. Without a long speech that I'm not really qualified to give I'll say this. What I try to do is find balance. I have 6 snails. (margaritas and small turbos) A Banded Serpent star. An urchin (I researched before I bought but I can't remember what species it is) Coral Banded Shrimp and some blue legged crabs. I had been scared about adding them and I avoided it for well over a year but now that I have I enjoy them. They're one more layer to the tank. I planned each purchase to fill a niche in my tank. To me it's the diversity in my tank that I enjoy most.

[lcstorc]

The crabs are fun to watch, but my experience is that they are snail killers.
I have a variety of snails (all mentioned above), a serpent star, sand sifting star, and a sea cucumber for my cleanup needs. Well and water changes. I seem to be the best cleanup crew.
Peace
Lynn

[jwaynet]

Originally Posted by lcstorc

The crabs are fun to watch, but my experience is that they are snail killers.

But why are they snail-killers?
No other source of food?
Need the shells?
I've had 5 red-legged & 5 blue-legged hermits in my tank from the start (1 year ago) and they haven't killed a thing!
They do have a good wardrobe of shells (which they use)

Cheers,

Jeff

[prow]

Originally Posted by jwaynet

But why are they snail-killers?
No other source of food?
Need the shells?
I've had 5 red-legged & 5 blue-legged hermits in my tank from the start (1 year ago) and they haven't killed a thing!
They do have a good wardrobe of shells (which they use)

Cheers,

Jeff

most kill for fun i think, and for a new spring wardroobe. they also are know to eat coralline. if you like them keep them. i got rid of mine because i wanted my coraline and snials. i had a bunch for years. they never did anything, then one day they started attacking the snails. got rid of all crab now my snails spawn, mostly the ceriths but from time to time the nassarius and nerite have spawned too. my coralline really started growing and now covers everything.

[prow]

Originally Posted by lcstorc

I seem to be the best cleanup crew.
Peace
Lynn

amen to that.